Territorial
by Kalira69
Summary: There's a panther in the gym. Growling. Matt knows it's just another cadet, no doubt someone's having a bad day, but he's not dealing with this tonight anyway. (Shapeshifter AU; Written for Sheith Month, Day 18) (Animals Inside series, #1)


Written for Day 18 of Sheith Month: Free Day, for which I picked 'Territorial'.

This connects (obviously) to Day 4's story, Mean Kitty, though this is long before that. (I suppose I could have switched which one I posted for which Free Day, but here we are.)

* * *

Shiro looked up as the door slid open. "I thought you were going to work out? Practise for Jameson's class?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Matt actually really liked Jameson's class, he knew; the first combat and exercise instructor he'd been assigned to who not only played to Matt's strengths but advised him on ways to further progress them.

Matt sighed, throwing his bag on the floor. "I was. There's a panther lounging on top of the biggest workout machine." he said flatly.

Shiro leaned back in his chair and eyed Matt.

"Don't give me that judgey look. I _know_ it's probably just another cadet but _it's a panther and it's growling_." Matt huffed, flopping onto his bunk. "I don't know who it is. I don't feel like arguing with them for space or working out while they stare at me."

Shiro smothered a laugh and pushed away from his desk.

"Where are you going?" Matt asked, cocking his head sideways without otherwise moving from his sprawl.

"To go and make sure whoever it is, they're okay." Shiro said with a smile. "And maybe also suggest they not scare everyone else out of the gym."

Matt gave him a dubious look. "Better you than me. Good luck." He turned over, putting his back to the room.

Shiro shook his head, amused, and headed for the door. "Who even has a _panther_ shape anyway?" Shiro thought he heard Matt muttering behind him as he left the room, and smothered a laugh as he headed to the gym. He wondered if it was really a panther staking out the gym or a large wildcat of some kind. There were a couple of them among the cadets and officers.

Shiro paused in the doorway, scanning the gym, and his brows rose.

It was indeed a panther - they were tucked into one of the highest reachable places in the gym, stretched over the crossing bars at the top of a large workout machine. The cat was quiet when Shiro walked in, though. He closed the door and took a few steps closer.

The panther raised their head and rumbled softly, their long tail flicking where it dangled off the other side of the machine. A growl it might technically be, but it wasn't terribly aggressive, and they made no other movement either.

"Hello." Shiro said politely, smiling without baring his teeth. "I'm Shiro! Do you mind sharing with me for a while?" he asked.

The panther made no response, only watched him silently, and Shiro worked through a few warm-up stretches, then set himself to run. Other than resettling their head on their paws and the occasional slow curl of their long tail the panther didn't move as Shiro ran, slowed to a walk for long enough to cool down, and then went through some flexibility exercises.

Shiro figured probably the panther wasn't _going_ to budge, much less shift to the human shape that would have allowed them to talk - at least not without prompting, perhaps not then - and wondered. "Hey," Shiro said, rubbing a towel over the back of his neck, "why are you hanging out in here?" he asked.

The panther lifted their head again, eyeing him. Shiro tried to look curious and non-aggressive. "It's not that I think you shouldn't be or anything, just surely there are more comfortable places if you just want to relax?" he added.

A moment later the great cat stood, then moved, almost flowing down from their perch with a ripple of powerful muscles under the plush, inky coat, and in the process blurring until Shiro was looking at a cadet in a slightly rumpled uniform standing before him. He was considerably shorter than Shiro and looked up at him with stormy eyes no less intense in his human face than they had been in the panther's.

"I can get comfortable almost anywhere if I need to when shifted, and I was less likely to be bothered or thrown out here than the library." he said. "I had to go _somewhere_."

Shiro opened his mouth, then closed it, frowning. "Wouldn't your room be better?" he asked dubiously. Surely if nowhere _else_ , there at least he would be more comfortable.

"My roommate refused to let me in the door because I wouldn't show him my form." he said, with a narrow-eyed glare. Shiro blinked, lost for words. That was- "I decided shifting would probably be better than shoving him out of the way and 'starting a fight', so I did, and then he shouted at me and locked the door."

Shiro stared at him, a spark of protective anger building in his chest.

"I couldn't just stay there in the hallway, and as I said, I can be comfortable anywhere if need be." he said with a shrug.

"You just- Left?" Shiro checked, somewhat incredulous. "And came to sleep in the _gym_?"

"What was I supposed to do? Try cracking the lock? Go to one of the Commanders and tell them my roommate won't let me in?" he rolled his eyes, beginning to turn away.

"Yes!" Shiro burst out. "Well, I mean, not breaking in, that's probably frowned on," it _was_ frowned upon, Shiro knew firsthand because Matt had broken into their room when he'd been sleep deprived and inexplicably couldn't remember their passcode but could remember the trick of bypassing the Garrison's security, "but _yes_ , tell the Commanders that your roommate is locking you out of your own room for no reason!"

"He has a reason." he said, crossing his arms.

" _What_ reason could he _possibly_ have?" Shiro demanded, incensed on the other cadet's behalf. There was no acceptable excuse for locking someone out of their own room. Not one that shouldn't be addressed by speaking to the commanders and _not_ just locking them out.

He raised an eyebrow. "I believe he was afraid of me." he said dryly.

"That's ridiculous! And discrimination! And it's not acceptable!" Shiro said firmly, eyes locked with the other cadet's, trying to make sure he _heard_ the words.

"It's also stupid."

Shiro startled, turning to find Matt at the doorway. "Matt!"

"Figured I should make sure you hadn't been eaten." Matt said dryly. Shiro heard the other cadet make a low sound almost like a growl. "And being afraid of you because of your form is not only discrimination it's ridiculously ignorant." he said more seriously, eyes narrowed. "Our forms may show our personality but you are no more likely to attack him as a panther than you are as a man. Anyone smart enough to be a Garrison cadet should know that."

"If you say so." the other cadet nearly drawled.

"He's right, though." Shiro said, frowning. "Ah, this is Matt, he's my roommate." he introduced, gesturing. Matt looked expectantly at him.

"I'm Keith." the other cadet said, looking them over. "You were here earlier and ran out."

"I didn't _run_ ," Matt said, though he didn't sound as defensive as he might have, "you seemed pretty irritated and I didn't want to bother you. As you seemed to have _claimed the entire gym_." he added pointedly.

Keith snorted.

"Also working out while being glared at isn't very comfortable." Matt said, glaring a little himself. "Anyway I figured Shiro would fix it after I went back to our room."

". . .what?" Shiro asked, startled. Keith's brows had risen.

"You fix things, man." Matt said, patting Shiro's arm. "The rest of us already know this, just accept it."

Shiro just looked at him for a minute, but Matt smiled, unflappable. ". . .fine. If I _fix things_ then I'm going to go and fix this. _I'll_ go talk to the commander."

"What?" Keith said, startled.

"I'll go talk to one of the commanders." Shiro said, warming to the idea. "You can't be thrown out of your own room, it's unacceptable. Even if your roommate had a _legitimate_ concern, which this is _not_ , locking you out is not the way to deal with it." he said firmly.

"I. . ." Keith trailed off, looking a little lost.

"Don't argue, he has his _determined to do the right thing_ face on." Matt said in a conspiratorial not-whisper, and Shiro flushed, glaring at his best friend. Matt grinned unrepentantly, though he also took a large step further away from Shiro.

"I'll be back." Shiro said, and strode for the door. He paused, then turned back, looking at Keith. ". . .what's your room? And your last name?" he asked, with a touch of embarrassment.

Keith blinked. "318. Kogane."

"Right." Shiro nodded and hurried out of the gym before he could hear Matt say anything _else_ possibly embarrassing. There was no use in trying to make him stop talking, but Shiro could at least not be there to hear him. And be an easy target.

"See? He fixes things." Matt said, and Shiro shook his head, closing the gym doors on Keith's uncertain reply and willing his flush away. He considered his options, then turned for the east wing. Commander Ryu was . . . not technically in charge of this dorm, but he was almost certainly still awake and he was very efficient.

Halfway there Shiro also remembered belatedly that Commander Ryu's second shape was a leopard cat. Not that it should make any difference.

Commander Ryu was indeed very efficient - after hearing Shiro's explanation he stormed directly to room 318, where Keith's roommate did not help his case by refusing to open the door at first, forcing Ryu to use the command staff override. He asked for any disagreement between the two cadets, and when nothing more than Shiro had from Keith was forthcoming, delivered a dressing down that had the other cadet practically folding in on himself, and made _Shiro_ want to edge backwards though it wasn't directed at himself.

"There will be a room reassignment, _not_ because of your complaints but because I won't force Kogane to room with someone who has treated him in such a manner." Commander Ryu said, eyes narrowed. "If I had a new placement ready I'd split you up tonight!" he snapped.

"Uh, Kogane could probably bunk with us for tonight if need be, Commander." Shiro said tentatively. He didn't think Keith was stepping foot back in this room no matter _what_ Commander Ryu ordered, or how well his current roommate might or might not behave with the Commander's words fresh in his mind. "Holt and I." he clarified.

Commander Ryu turned towards him, arching an eyebrow. "Your room isn't meant for three." he pointed out evenly.

"No." Shiro admitted, ducking his head. "It wouldn't work as a new room assigment, but for one night. . . We could make it work. I don't think-" he broke off, glancing at Keith's roommate. "I would volunteer to trade places with Keith for tonight but given the grounds of his objection," he tried not to let his lip curl on those words, "I don't think he'd be any happier with _me_." he nodded towards the other cadet.

"Hn. If Holt and Kogane are fine with it that works." Commander Ryu said after a moment. "Come see me again if either of them object, I'll figure something else out." He looked back to the other cadet. "You _will_ allow Kogane to collect his personal items without causing him any trouble or offering _one iota_ of complaint or the reprimand in your record will be a suspension. Likewise if I hear any reports that you are not paying attention in Kino's shift class."

"But I've already been through shift-"

"Not _one complaint_ against it! Discrimination rooted in someone's form is _just_ as unacceptable as it is for any other aspect of background or identity." Commander Ryu said firmly. "I _will_ be asking Kino about your attitude in his class."

Shiro bowed and slipped away as Commander Ryu folded his arms, glaring at the other cadet. He headed back to the gym. It had been an impulse to offer - an impulse based off his unease at the idea of shoving the two cadets into the same room for the night - but he was pretty sure Matt wouldn't mind making room for Keith for the night under the circumstances, and Shiro couldn't imagine just leaving him to sleep in the _gym_.

Shiro paused in the doorway, processing. Matt and Keith were . . . sparring? Or perhaps not a true match. As he watched they stopped moving, Keith grabbed Matt's arm and repositioned it, pushing his shoulders down until he arched his body sideways, speaking in a low voice while he did. Shiro blinked.

They moved apart, then started up again, exchanging a few quick blows, and this time Matt moved the way Keith had pushed him, successfully ducking away from Keith's sideways kick. He laughed, moving directly in to sweep Keith's feet out from under him, but Keith leapt lightly, tumbled across the floor, and came up inside Matt's guard, nearly knocking him over backwards.

"Shiro!" Matt noticed him over Keith's shoulder, and stepped away. "Fixed?"

"Yes." Shiro smiled at Keith, who looked at him with wide eyes. "Commander Ryu might still be dressing down your old roommate - and tomorrow he'll be reassigning you to another bunk. You'll be in ours tonight, if that's all right with both of you."

"What?" Keith said immediately.

"Fine with me." Matt said easily, grinning at Keith. "You shouldn't have to put up with that idiot, and while our room isn't fit for three it won't be that bad for one night, honestly."

"I can go bunk in 318 for the night if I need to;" Shiro offered, "I mean, I don't think he'd be happy to see _me_ , either, but I don't think he'll argue given what he's heard from Ryu already tonight. . ."

"There's no need." Matt said, and Shiro paused, looking at him again. "There's no need." he repeated, and shrugged. "Keith can take my bunk tonight, and I can curl up at the foot of yours. Or with Keith." He eyed them both critically. "I feel like you're less likely to kick me." he added.

"Hey!" Shiro protested.

"You sure about that?" Keith said lightly, grinning as he shifted fluidly on the balls of his feet, and Shiro's protest faltered as he took in the open expression.

"Well if you're going to be testing my reflexes in my _sleep_. . ." Matt pouted, and Keith laughed.

"Not planning on it, no." Keith admitted, shrugging. "Thanks." He glanced at Shiro. "I didn't- I wouldn't have thought. . ."

"I'm glad we could help." Shiro said, rescuing him from the trailing sentence.

"Screw _glad we could help_ ," Matt said, even as he took Keith by the arm and tugged him over towards Shiro, still by the door, "I want payback; you have to keep helping me with those drills." he said with a squinty look at Keith. Shiro might have glared at Matt for it, but-

Keith only laughed again, shaking his head, expression bright and pleased. "Yeah, sure." he said easily. "Once you get to be _decent_ at them sparring against you might actually be good practise."

He ducked forwards, dancing lightly out of reach as Matt sputtered and swatted at him.

Shiro covered his mouth with one hand, trying not to laugh at them. "Another day, though, yes?" he said once he had himself under control. "It's pretty late, and _I_ have an early class tomorrow."

Keith groaned, rubbing a hand through his shaggy hair, the gesture leaving it falling in ruffled spikes around his sharp jaw. "Me too." he admitted.

"Sucks to be you." Matt said cheerfully, like he hadn't been consistently _murderous_ last week when staying up late every night to work on an engineering problem and getting up early every morning for extra time working with Juno.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, I want to at least _pretend_ I'll be getting enough sleep tonight not to pass out in class tomorrow." Shiro said, gesturing down the corridor that led back to their room.

* * *

. . .so, Keith and Matt are going to be bros in this series. I didn't plan it that way, they turned it that way themselves, and I am quite liking how they're taking the storyline.


End file.
